Flame retardant compositions

Abstract

A substrate having a flame retardant polymer chemically bonded to at least a portion of the substrate. The use of a substrate possessing at least a partially coated outer surface of a flame retardant polymer enables the manufacturing of polymer composites, containing the coated substrate, that possess very effective flame retardant performance while reducing the loading levels over conventional flame retardant additives.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a flame retardant composition. Specifically, the present invention is a combination of a substrate, or carrier particle, and a flame retardant polymer bonded to the substrate.BACKGROUND[0002]Polymer composites are widely utilized in numerous applications, including automotive, home construction, electronic and consumer good products. One frequent requirement of polymer composites in certain applications is that they must be flame retardant. In order to prevent polymers from burning, the propagation of the combustion cycle has to be stopped.[0003]There are various strategies for combating the fire chemically and physically in both the vapor phase and condensed phase. When a polymer breaks down there are many pathways in which the polymer can decompose to form high-energy free radicals. In the vapor phase, the combustion cycle can be stopped by physically diluting the flame with non-combustible gases and chemically capping the high...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a new material that can be added to polymers to make them flame-resistant. This material is a coating of a flame-retardant polymer that is applied to a substrate. Using this coated substrate as an additive in polymers results in better flame-retardant performance with lower levels of added material compared to other flame-retardant additives. The coated substrate also improves the mechanical properties of the polymers it is added to. Overall, this material provides an effective way to make polymers resistant to fire.

Problems solved by technology

Halogenated flame retardants, however, may evolve harmful gases and can have a negative effect on the environment.

The addition of conventional flame retardant materials to a polymer composition may adversely impact the physical characteristics of the composition, ultimately rendering the composition unsuitable or undesirable for its intended purpose.

Highly filled flame retardant polymers often have inferior physical characteristics compared to competitive materials due to their molecular architecture.

Such materials are often incapable of achieving the desired strength and impact characteristics.

Other flame retardant compositions offer molecular architecture that potentially limits the subsequent processing once the multi-component composition is created.